Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout | Stone Brewing

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Pours pitch black, no light through whatsoever, with a rich and creamy dark tan head that measures probably two inches. Head recedes to a thin but full lace, but doesn't leave a whole lot of stick.

Smell has dark chocolate for sure, but a nice milk chocolate sweetness, as well, along with some mocha. Bit of citrus hops going on there, too, and some booze.

Taste starts off with some lactose and milk chocolaty sweetness rather than dark chocolate, along with some mocha/coffee flavor. There is some fruity flavor going on here, too, a bit of citrusy hops I think. The dark, bitter chocolate really starts to come through into the finish, along with some roasted malt and a bit of hop bitterness. Finishes quite roasty and bitter, but it's not a charcoal-like unpleasant bitterness. I'd compare it to a subsantially hopped IPA with ample bitterness. I think that tolerance for hop bitterness is why I like this so much, but I can certainly see why this is too much for some people.

Mouthfeel is quite creamy, a rich full/medium body. Very nice.

This is a great brew. Awesome depth of chocolate flavor, and the bitterness really works for me. I like this a lot. I think I'm going to pick up a few more to put in the cellar. Happy 12 Stone. Congrats on another winner.

This is a great example of an extreme beer done well. It's thick, flavorful, roasty, and chocolaty, but it's not over the top. I could easily have a few pints. It is, however, a cold weather beer. The oatmeal thickens it up quite a bit without sweetening it. There are some phenols on the nose, but they get lost in everything else. I'm looking forward to this in the bottle.

Pours pitch black with a very short head that fades to almost nothing. The beer itself, though, is glossy and beautiful. A little alcohol heat in the aroma, which is the only place that any alcohol is noticeable. Dark chocolate, vanilla, and some light roastiness round it out. The taste is incredibly smooth and qquite delicious. Nice bitter dark chocolate combines with a more pronounced roastiness than evident in the aroma. Long, and rich and not sweet at all. The mouthfeel is silky and smooth and this beer is surprisingly subtle and very tasty. Extremely easy to drink, the alcohol is especially well hidden.

S- The bitter chocolate definitely makes its presence known in the nose. Notes of coffee are pretty clear as well as a slightly smoky, boozy smell, almost of bourbon or rum.

T- The taste is an intensified version of the aroma. The bitter chocolate is clearly noted, however the cocoa flavor sweetens as the beer warms. A slightly bitter smokiness is present with the taste of alcohol coming through, but as more of a warming flavor. The flavor of dark fruits come through as the beer warms, namely plums.

M- The oatmeal creates a very creamy and pleasant mouthfeel, accented by moderate carbonation and a medium-dry finish (thanks to the bitter chocolate).

D- Knowing Stone, I was expecting a beer with the word "bitter" in it to be supremely and almost unbearably bitter, however, the bitterness was more than welcome and did not intrude on the other flavors of the beer. I split this bomber, but am more than ready to share a second one.

This beer poured a very dark color with a medium head that hung around for a while. The aroma is fairly sweet and has some chocolate/cocoa notes, but not much roast. Smells pretty good. The flavor has coffee upfront as well as a touch of chocolate and some sweetness. The alcohol is fairly evident also. The body is nice and thick and creamy. The drinkability is pretty good on this one. I'd have this one again.

D - So easy to drink for being almost 10%, I'm impressed. I'm going to easily finish this bomber and I'm going to have this one again in a year or so to see how things have changed. Right now, it's pretty damn good...can't wait for another year or so.

Of the six boxes that have arrived on my doorstep over the past couple of years from the prolific beerisheaven, only five beers remain. OK, now four. It never gets old sayings thanks for more great brews, Brian.

Pours black with a tame, muddy head that quickly retreats. Flat & quiet. Smells very good. The bitter, assumedly from the chocolate, is a different bitter than the regular hop-bitter I've become accustomed too. Along with some good, dark malts.

This XII has some great uniqueness swirling around. The bitter chocolate is up front & intimately intertwined with the sweetness of the chocolate, too. What an odd pairing doing the completely opposite thing to my palate. Standing behind this coolness is a deep maltiness that's silky, warming, rich, & all those big stout superlatives in spades, so to speak. Lush.

Not being a big fan of oatmeal stouts, this is a cut above the rest. Excellent beer. I didn't like the Stone RIS when we first tried it, now I'm wondering if the year-old bottle is worth another run. Something to ponder.

A: This beer pours a thick, perfectly dark black. An aggressive yields an 1/8 of an inch of dark brown head. The head has very little retention, collapsing to a thin ring that leaves very nice sheeting rings on the glass. The beautiful thing about this beer is the color. Just a an almost perfect black.

S: Smell of some really nice chocolate. Smells like good baker's chocolate. Very nice oat smell comes in also. Cream is also present, adding a very nice lactose quality to it. The primary smells described above shine heavily but the fundamental hops and malt are still present. This smells amazing.

T: Taste i also very nice. This beer is not as bitter as I think it should be, more sweet than anything. The chocolate is very nice and subtle probably in part to the oatmeal presence. Once again a really nice milky quality in the flavor profile that makes this creamy goodness. My only complaint is the lack of bitterness, still very solid in this dept. though.

M: Medium to full in body. Has a very creamy and oily consistency. Really coats the mouth, tongue and throat. The big suprise here is the low to moderate level of carbonation. Makes this actually refreshing for the style. Aftertaste is of chocolate and malt.

D: Due to the feel, this beer is highly drinkable for the richness the style provides. This beer is quite impressive. I still has room for improvement and is far from perfect, but is still a good brew. Stone doesn't seem to disappoint when they make a dark, rich brew. This is great.

Poured into a Guinness tulip (my favorite glass).
A: Black with no light penetrating. Pretty standard. I'm sure if you backlit it with a floodlight you would see dark red, but I don't have a floodlight handy. Stiff brownish head that laces the hell outta the glass.

S: Lots of alcohol in the nose. I don't shy away from alcohol, but this has me a little worried. Also picking up the oatmeal, chocolate, and roasted malts. If the alcohol wasn't so present, the malts would smell delightfully dreamy.

T: This is where the confusion for me lies. The alcohol from the nose doesn't show up at all, and what does show up takes a while for me to put a finger on. I get a little bit of everything with every gulp. The bitter chocolate eventually lends a mild sweetness while the oatmeal only adds a very subtle effect. There's a lot of deep, dark flavor going on here...you have to pay attention to this one.

M & D: Mouthfeel was pretty standard; nothing to complain about, certainly. Surprisingly, the drinkability is a little off. The alcohol you get on the nose, but not on the taste, really hits you in the end. Quite a twist.

Notes: Wasn't so sure of this one halfway through, but in the end, it turned out quite well. After getting acclimated to the brew it shows what it's all about and becomes quite enjoyable. I'm perfectly happy to have tried it.